1. Field of the Invention
Plate separators are known in which a liquid flow is led through the interspaces of an assembly of parallel plates, in order to reduce the separation path of said components. Said plates are arranged at such an inclination that the separated components will slide along said plates, and will be discharged in an adjoining collecting chamber.
In a special construction thereof, the so-called cross-flow separator, the liquid to be treated is introduced transversely to the direction of largest inclination of the plates through said interspaces, so that the separated components will move transversely to the liquid flow towards the collecting chamber in question, which is situated, for the heavier components, at the lower side, and, for the lighter components, at the higher side of the plate assembly.
2. State of the Prior Art
A difficulty with such cross-flow separators is that the liquid will escape for a substantial part outside the plate assembly through the adjoining collecting chamber or chambers, since the flow resistance in the interspaces between the plates is higher, in particular when corrugated plates are used.
According to NL-A 70 01 713 the latter is avoided by arranging transverse baffles in the collecting chambers suppressing such short-circuit flows, said baffles extending, in particular, into the layer of sedimentating components in the lower collecting chamber, or above the layer of floating components in the upper collecting chamber.
If the number of such transverse baffles is relatively small, it cannot be avoided that, nevertheless, short-circuit flows will escape between said baffles outside the plate assembly, which prevents that the optimal separation effect will be obtained. Moreover the lower collecting chamber is, generally, conically shaped in order to guide the collected sediment towards a discharge duct, so that the assembly of baffles should be made fan-shaped, the baffles at the lower side of said chamber being arranged closely together. Thereby the number of baffles is substantially restricted, since said distance cannot be made too small.